Although it did not have the emotional appeal of the opening ceremony I thought that last night's closing ceremony was even better. I think one would be hard pressed to be more proud to be a South African than last night.
It was terribly disappointing though that the Netherlands were completely unaware of the enormity of the occasion and the part they were expected to play in the unfolding spectacle that was Soccer World Cup 2010. To say that they had completely lost the plot is an understatement. Instead of trusting their footballing skills to prevail against the Spanish they chose to bully and pummel the Spaniards into submission.
That they thought this tactic would work speaks volumes for the paucity of tactical acumen of the coaching staff and their lack of respect for the footballing skills of their charges. Based on last night's performance they do not deserve to remain in charge of this richly talented team.
What is more concerning is that these negative tactics could so easily have paid off. Had the Dutch won using these tactics it would have been a travesty of justice. Thankfully the Spaniards stuck to their task and were ultimately rewarded. The best team won.
I wonder what The Crown Prince Willem-Alexander thought of his subjects last night? What did you think of the spectacle? Is winning at all costs a legitimate tactic? Is cheating so inherent in the game that it is acceptable to do so?
Enough of the Dutch. I thought the Spaniards were magnificent last night and worthy winners. They withstood the Dutch onslaught and, for the most part, stuck to what they do best. I feel sorry for David Villa. He is a tireless worker that any striker could do worse than emulate and he would have fully deserved earning the Golden Boot. Despite Uruguay's less than honest style of play Diego Forlan stands out as a prodigious talent and fully deserves being awarded the Golden Ball. Thomas Meuller in earning the Golden Boot and Young Player awards indicates that we can look forward to watching his talents long into the future.
And so the curtain comes down on a World Cup that many thought would never happen, never mind be as successful as it was and such a great showcase for our beautiful country. With all the controversy over refereeing decisions and a less than scintillating display in the final I cannot say whether it was such a good advertisement for the game itself.
One thing is certain. We have been riveted to this sport for a full 31 days and wherever you live you cannot have escaped being immersed into the excitement of it all.
I have enjoyed keeping this journal of events and I hope you have enjoyed it with me. I am left to say the following. I call upon the youthful bloggers of the world. Nay. I call upon the youthful and the aged (Zimmer framing, Zesty drinking) bloggers of the world. To hell with it. I call upon every flippen person on the planet to gather together in four years time (please God I am still alive) for Ric's 2014 SWC Diary.
Contributed by RIC007WP
| Comments |
|
|
||||||
For sure we will be here to read your comments. And don`t worry, you will still be here 
